8 strategies to stop your UPGRADE from becoming a downgrade 💻

This blog post is a great accompaniment to Gab & Jam

Ep 165 How to stop an upgrade from being a downgrade?

(video: https://bit.ly/Ep165upgradevid and

podcast: http://bit.ly/Ep165upgradepod )

This is DEFINITELY one of those D.I.Y. Rock Star problems. Have you ever seen ads, product reviews, and even testimonials for an app, a program, or a piece of equipment that promises to give you so much more than you have now, and then been disappointed when you ACTUALLY tried to use it? Yep, that’s what this post is about.

The Goal....

Part of what we look for having a tool (or piece of equipment or an app) that does not take from our time when we are creating, so that we have to solve some tech problem. Instead, we schedule other time to handle tech issues. But when we are ready to create, we don’t want using our tools to stand in our way. So, when we are looking to upgrade, it is usually to make sure that we spend LESS time tinkering with gear and more time just letting our creativity flow.

Gab & Jam Episode 112

“You should QUIT the music business!”

(video: http://bit.ly/Ep112quitvid and

podcast: http://bit.ly/Ep112quitpod )

8 Things to Consider (to keep your upgrade from being a downgrade):

1. Promises versus reality:

See if the promises are worth the effort of attempting to upgrade. Evaluate your situation in relationship to your equipment versus what you might be reaching “up” from. You have to think about whether or not it is worth not only the time to investigate, but also if what it promises is worth the hassles that might be inherit with this change in operation. For instance, if you are planning to upgrade an operating system, be sure that your current programs and plug-ins will work with them. Considering this “backwards” compatibility when you are about to make that leap, because, sadly, you COULD actually lose what you have when you are taking a chance for something better. You MAY end up giving up some luxuries that you have grown used to as you try to get something “better.”

Gab & Jam Ep 165 How to stop an upgrade from being a downgrade? (video: https://bit.ly/Ep165upgradevid and podcast: http://bit.ly/Ep165upgradepod )

2. Costs versus value

If you are in situation where what you are using currently, think carefully before you move to something new. If you can ALREADY record a hundred tracks, for instance, is it worth moving on to something that is supposed to be “better.” However, if you are in a situation where what you are working with is already experiencing crashes and other instabilities, then maybe it’s worth thinking about upgrading. But it might behoove you to try some simpler bug fixes, etc., before going all out and, say, changing your operating system, for instance. Evaluate all of this before making the leap.

Gab & Jam Ep158 Empower yourself in 2021 (for D.I.Y. Rock Star)!

(video: http://bit.ly/Ep158empower2021vid and

podcast: http://bit.ly/Ep158empower2021pod )

3. User-friendly?

The next important thing to consider before you “upgrade,” is how user-friendly is the new app/program/equipment. If you are going from clicking one button to accomplish something, but now you need to click on three other buttons in order to get the same result. Do you need to access a manual, but you used to not have to? That’s an indication that it is not as intuitive or user-friendly as it should be. –Remember that we don’t want to have to stop to solve a tech problem WHILE we are trying to create….

Gab & jam Ep 117 “Haters are Your Elevators: Negative Comments are Your Proof”

(video: https://bit.ly/Ep117hatersvid and podcast: https://bit.ly/Ep117haterspod )

4. Track record for reliability

The next thing to consider when deciding whether or not to upgrade is if the new thing has a track record for reliability. We can say with confidence that when we FIRST bought into the Apple eco-system, it was SPECIFICALLY for its stability, its ease-of-use between devices. We knew this from watching others for years who were up and running sometimes when we were handing crashes and issues with our Windows-based (or Android-based) devices. However, over the years, we have found that to be less true. What we often do is to conduct a quick Google search of the product we are looking to buy—along with the products we are looking to use alongside of the new thing—so see if people complain of issues. Typically, we things work well—especially brand new things—there will be no complaints. But if you do a search and you see quite a few folks with issues, that’s a red flag for you. Often software has bugs that are only discovered once they are released to the general public. If you wait a couple of months in, there are often updates and fixes BEFORE you even download it. But even if you DO decide to go ahead with the upgrade, at least you cannot say you were not forewarned, which leads to our next point….

10 Reasons NOT to Have Only One Social Media Profile (for the D.I.Y. Rock Star) http://bit.ly/Ep141moresocmedblog

5. Fall back?

Be sure that you create a specific back-up before beginning ANY upgrade. –DON’T rely on Apple’s Time Machine auto-back-ups! Both of us have experienced the problem of THINKING you have a back-up, because they are set up to automatically do it, but after we went to go get them, we realized that something was NOT set up properly, because we could NOT retrieve the back-up! Yikes!

6. Knowing when to quit the equipment and move on

Sometimes, upgrades that doesn’t work out, don’t be afraid to cut and run! If you find that “upgrades” aren’t enhancing your workflow—and are more trouble than they are worth—then it’s okay to ditch it and go back to what you were working with before. There’s no shame in realizing what is working best for what you have, for what you need and for what you are looking to gain. If it happens that it is NOT working out, then go find something else—or go back to what you had! Remember, it’s YOUR world, player! Yep, we dumped Adobe Illustrator, Adobe PhotoShop, and Adobe InDesign in favor of Adobe PhotoShop Elements and Canva.com. They suited what we needed to do better and they were easier to use on a regular basis. (Our Dirty Little Secret: http://bit.ly/canvadirty )

7. Stay open?

Even if you have had problems before, don’t give up on trying new things. That next thing you upgrade to might be the difference between making your workflow richer, wiser, and better, so stay on the lookout for the possibilities.

8. Be realistic with expectations

a. Don’t do this on a day when you are rushing out the door. It always takes longer to try new things than you expect, so it’s best to allot enough time. –There’s nothing worse than being in a rush, wanting to upgrade, but needing to get everything back operational before you walk away from your studio.

b. Remember that any equipment or upgrade will only give you more of you, so it will not make you instantly a virtuoso. If you keep that in mind, you won’t be disappointed.

Goals-Oriented Video Playlist (for the D.I.Y. Rock Star): https://bit.ly/goalsplaylistvid

Gab & Jam Ep 139 3 Unusual Ways to Make Your Art More Attractive

(video: https://bit.ly/Ep139sellartvid and podcast: https://bit.ly/Ep139sellartpod )

Honey Music Video Trailer http://bit.ly/honeytrailervid

Hope. 😇

And we know if you have ever been wooed in by the promise of some new-fangled piece of equipment, this episode only touches the surface of your frustration. So, tell us a little more about your experience. We’d love to re-assure you that you are NOT the only one. Tell us all about it in the comments below.

Blog-vember Tips Playlist: http://bit.ly/blogvember2019playlist

#upgrade #downgrade #diyrockstar #musicmakingmagic #prejippie #bloomingprejippie #gabandjam